EVENTS: Bean supper at VUMC

Donna Dow and a friend from Albion, in the salad line at the June 21 public supper, at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church. (contributed photo)

A traditional baked bean public supper will be held at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC), at 614 Main Street/Rte. 32, on Saturday, July 19, 4:30 – 6 p.m. The supper is open to the public and the menu will include baked beans, hot dogs, casseroles and a variety of summer salads in addition to the traditional coleslaw, breads, beverages and pies. A donation of $10 per person is appreciated.

VUMC holds public suppers the third Saturday of every month through October. The menu varies from month to month but the people’s favorite baked beans and an array of pies is always included. The door prize drawing will be for two free tickets to the August 16 supper.

FMI contact Pastor Karen Merrill at (207) 873-5544 or info.vumc@gmail.com. Follow these and future special events and public meals on the Vassalboro United Methodist Church Facebook page.

Winslow’s Adirondack chairs are gone

photo: Maine Airondeck Chairs Facebook page

by Mary Grow

“It’s a sad, sad situation. People love the chairs,” Winslow Parks and Recreation Director Amanda McCaslin said regretfully.

The chairs she meant were the wooden Adirondack chairs that used to be in Fort Halifax Park, near the Kennebec River. Early in June, unknown people apparently threw them into the river.

Since they disappeared, McCaslin estimated she’s received more than a dozen calls asking where they’d gone.

McCaslin said the vandalism was reported to police. Winslow fire department members took their boat out to look unsuccessfully for any chairs that might have grounded downriver.

McCaslin explained that the chairs cannot be secured in place, because they are in a flood zone. When town staff have warning of high water, they are moved to safety. Besides, people using them like to rearrange their conversational groups.

There is no money for new chairs in Winslow’s 2025-26 budget, which is effective July 1. Town officials are uncertain about replacements anyway, because, McCaslin said, “We can’t justify putting them out to have them thrown away.”

The alternative of having people bring their own chairs would be difficult for some older residents, she said.

Four of the 10 chairs were a gift from Maine Adirondack Chairs, in Vassalboro.

Rob Lemire, owner of Maine Adirondack Chairs, said he initially donated four chairs some years ago. After the unexpected December 2023 flood carried them away, he contacted McCaslin’s department and last spring donated another set of four “to be enjoyed by the public.”

Vassalboro planners OK one application, no action needed on another

Vassalboro Town Officeby Mary Grow

Vassalboro Planning Board members approved one application on their July 1 agenda and decided the second one needed no action.

They unanimously approved the planned replacement fishway at the Webber Pond dam, which has been discussed repeatedly at Vassalboro select board meetings.

Matt Streeter, of Maine Rivers, presented a detailed application, with plans prepared by Acadia Civil Works, of Leeds. He said preparatory work will start promptly and the project should be completed by the end of September, if not earlier.

The replacement fishway is needed, Streeter explained, because the 2009 one is too small to accommodate all the alewives that try to get into Webber Pond every spring. The new fishway will be 114 feet long by six feet wide and six feet deep.

The project already has its permits from the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The major local disruption will be closing Dam Road, approved by the select board at its June 26 meeting. Streeter said the Webber Pond boat launch area will not be significantly affected, except that construction vehicles may use some of its parking space.

The project will include repaving the bridge, making the dam gates easier to operate, adding a small “shed” on the dam and installing a dry hydrant for use by Vassalboro firefighters. Streeter intends to return to the planning board for approval of follow-up projects that are not included in the July 1 permit.

After the unanimous vote to approve the fishway, planning board member Paul Mitnik commented, “All the alewives are gonna be happy.” Streeter agreed.

The second application was from the Kennebec Water District (KWD), represented by Water Quality Manager Robbie Bickford and General Manager Roger Crouse. It is a follow-up to a permit board members approved in July 2024.

The 2024 permit allowed KWD to run a pipe under Route 32 from the water treatment plant on the west side of the road toward Outlet Stream. The pipe will be used to transport used filter-cleaning water from the plant to the stream. KWD officials wanted that part of the project done before Route 32 was repaved.

The 2025 application is to finish the job, by extending the pipe, building a concrete headwall and running an eight-foot-wide riprap channel to Outlet Stream. Bickford again assured board members the quantity and quality of the discharged water will not affect water quality, wildlife or downstream uses.

The project has ACE and DEP permits, he said. KWD officials plan to start work in August and be done by the end of September.

Board member Douglas Phillips expressed appreciation for the information. Board members voted unanimously that they did not need to issue another permit.

When board chairman Virginia Brackett remarked to Bickford and Crouse that board members would see them again for a planned solar project on their property, Crouse said it has been canceled.

In other business July 1, Phillips asked whether the Vassalboro Historical Society could plan an addition to a barn it owns on Main Street, in East Vassalboro, beside the Grange Hall. The barn is in the Outlet Stream shoreland zone.

Board members concluded an expansion “wouldn’t be unreasonable.”

They also discussed amendments to Vassalboro’s junkyard ordinance, and instances of town ordinances being ignored, matters that Codes Officer Eric Currie is looking into.

The next regular Vassalboro Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5.

VASSALBORO: Dam Road to close in July

Vassalboro Town OfficeThe selectboard has voted to allow the closure of the Dam Rd., in Vassalboro, due to construction at the Webber Pond dam. The earliest date for bridge closure is Monday, July 15, according to Maine Rivers Project Manager Matt Streeter.

The following are key upcoming dates:

Start of construction of Dam Road Extension at McQuarrie Road: Monday, June 30.
Mobilization of equipment and materials to the dam/fishway location: Monday, July 7.
Completion of construction of Dam Road Extension at McQuarrie Road: Monday, July 15.
Earliest date for bridge closure: Monday, July 15.

The bridge closure will not continue beyond September 30. Every effort will be made to re-open it sooner. Any questions about the construction schedule may be directed to mstreeter212@gmail.com.

Vassalboro Sanitary District seeks three trustees

Vassalboro Town OfficeThe Vassalboro Sanitary District currently has three openings on the Board of Trustees. Two trustees must be customers of the district while one trustee must live in Vassalboro. If you would like to serve, please contact Town Manager Aaron Miller at 207-872-2826 or email amiller@vassalboro.net.

Vassalboro select board proposes town government changes

Vassalboro Town Officeby Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members agreed at their June 26 meeting to propose, and seek residents’ opinions on, three changes to town government.

Board member Chris French recommends Vassalboro’s annual town meeting format be changed from the traditional open meeting (like the one held June 2, 2025) to a referendum vote. All questions would be on written ballots each voter would fill out individually and privately (like the June 10 municipal election).

French’s reason: at the open meeting, about 100 voters made decisions that will affect everyone in town for at least the coming year. The written ballot attracted three times as many voters, 299 (according to Town Clerk Cathy Coyne).

The change would require a second change: budget committee members could no longer be elected from the town meeting floor. French proposed a budget committee ordinance that would spell out a different procedure.

He would also like to see the select board expanded from three members to five, elected for staggered three-year terms.

His recommendation to put the changes to voters on a Nov. 4 ballot sparked a discussion of timing for preparation of questions and public hearings.

Select board members intend to resume discussion of a different form of town meeting, a larger select board and a new budget committee ordinance at their Thursday, July 17, meeting.

Their only August meeting is now scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 12 (changed from the usual Thursday to accommodate Town Manager Aaron Miller’s schedule). Their first September meeting is Sept. 4. They propose having Nov. 4 questions ready by then, for submission to the town clerk.

In other business June 26, in a series of unanimous votes, board members awarded bids:

To remove trees in the Nelson Road and Farwell-Brown cemeteries, to Pro Tree Service of Vassalboro, lowest of three bidders.
For new culverts, to Paris Farmers Union, lowest of three bidders and recommended by Public Works Director Brian Lajoie.
For a new boiler for the town office, to Knowles Mechanical, of Vassalboro, lower of two comparable bidders (a third bidder offered a boiler they considered too small for Vassalboro’s needs).

Cemetery committee chairman Savannah Clark and member Jane Aiudi joined board members and Miller in discussing three other issues (see the June 26 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

After inspecting the East Vassalboro cemetery, Miller agreed the erosion problem there needs attention. He and Public Works Director Brian Lajoie are considering remedies.

Select board and cemetery committee members think a survey of trees in Vassalboro cemeteries and a plan or schedule for removing those threatening damage would be useful. Miller plans to draft a request for proposals from qualified foresters.

The manager had checked town records trying unsuccessfully to find out how many members the cemetery committee is supposed to have. It currently has six; several people preferred an uneven number.

Select board members intend to appoint/re-appoint town committee members at their July 17 meeting. Miller again referred to the application process described on the town website, Vassalboro.net.

Returning to the previously-discussed topic of a town recreation director, Miller repeated his preference for a “hybrid” position: someone hired for 30 hours a week who would oversee youth sports and would fill in at the town office as needed.

The town office position would involve cross-training, so that the new person could take over when regular staff were on sick leave, vacation or merely lunch breaks. One of Miller’s main goals is to let the bookkeeper do her time-consuming job without interruption.

French wanted consideration of contracting out routine jobs – payroll was specifically mentioned – to save staff time without adding a person. Miller agreed to try to get costs.

The manager suggested another option that would be a partial solution: close the office for a daily lunch break, as some other Maine towns do.

On another topic from previous meetings, Matt Streeter from Maine Rivers updated board members on plans to enlarge the Webber Pond fishway (see the June 12 issue of The Town Line, p. 3). He said all McQuarrie Road residents have signed agreements accepting use of their road as an alternative route while Dam Road is closed during construction.

Select board members unanimously approved closing Dam Road. Streeter said the contractor planned to start preparations June 30; work is scheduled to start in earnest July 14 and must end by Sept. 30 – earlier, he hopes.

Board members returned to the much-discussed town personnel policy long enough to vote unanimously to send it to the town’s attorney for review.

Miller led another pre-year-end review of town finances and promised more information at the July 17 meeting, after the 2024-25 books have closed.

After the long delay in getting past audit reports to guide planning for 2025-26 – a problem Miller said is not unique to Vassalboro – the manager reported he expects final information from 2023 and 2024 in July, and the audit for the 2024-25 fiscal year to start soon. Select board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico urged Miller to follow up with the auditors.

The July 17 select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the town office meeting room.

Vassalboro Selectboard to appoint board/committee members July 17

Vassalboro Town OfficeThe Town of Vassalboro has various committees, boards and commissions that work diligently and generously and give their time and talents to promote the future of the Town.

Are you interested in becoming more involved? The Town is seeking volunteers with unique problem-solving abilities, experiences and ideas to collaborate and make a difference in our community. Each committee is unique in its purpose and provides services, advice, or recommendations on a variety of issues including recreation, conservation and budget to name a few.

The selectboard will make appointments to the following boards and committees at their regularly scheduled meeting on July 17:

Planning Board – five members.
Board of Appeals – three members.
Recreation Committee – eight members.
Conservation Commission – two members.
Cemetery Committee – four to six members.
Trails Committee – 10 members.
Transfer Station Taskforce – six members.

If you are interested in joining a committee, please fill out a Committee Application Form and send a copy to the Town Manager. Application forms are located on the town’s website. You can submit a copy by dropping mailing, dropping off at the Town Office, or email amiller@vassalboro.net.

Fundraising to help VCS grads attend MSSM

by Mary Grow

Last academic year, a Vassalboro Community School graduate named Judson Smith was a freshman at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone. Smith is glad he was able to attend the specialized residential high school (see the Jan. 9, 2025, issue of The Town Line, p. 2, for an interview with Smith midway through the year).

This spring, VCS eighth-graders Savannah Judkins and Agatha Meyer were accepted to enter MSSM’s freshman class in September 2025.

Having three students qualify for the prestigious school brought pride and pleasure to VCS personnel, and to many Vassalboro residents not directly connected with VCS.

One of the latter is John Reuthe. To express his feelings in a practical way, he is organizing, and donating to, a fund-raiser to help pay Vassalboro students’ costs.

As Vassalboro School Board members explained at their April 8 meeting, the state pays students’ tuition at MSSM, but not room and board, which they said cost around $11,000 a year. School board members researched records and found a policy under which they voted to give each family $5,303 in aid for the coming school year.

Reuthe pointed out that in addition to the remaining room and board costs, high-school students have other expenses. He and some of his neighbors have therefore organized the Vassalboro Community Scholarship Fund at MSSM.

The Vassalboro fund is a subdivision of the school’s MSSM Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Donations to the Vassalboro fund by credit card may be made via the school’s website. Checks should be made payable to the Maine School of Science and Mathematics Foundation and mailed to the school at 95 High Street, Limestone, ME 0750.

For more information on the local project, Reuthe’s email address is john@ereuthe.com.

Reuthe is particularly pleased that two more girls will be attending MSSM. He comes from a family in which many women, despite being born poor in rural areas, managed to get a science education that led to a successful career.

Before the Covid epidemic, Reuthe said, he and his late wife Elizabeth provided summer camperships at MSSM for female students. His wife’s illness and death distracted him from resuming the program.

But when the grandmother of one of the new MSSM students mentioned that the family might have trouble paying room and board, Reuthe’s instant reaction was, “I’ll find a way to help.”

After discussions with MSSM executive director Rob Constantine and dean of enrollment management Santiago Durango, Reuthe and his group organized the Vassalboro fund. His long-term goal is to establish an ongoing source of money to help support future VCS graduates, boys and girls, who gain admission to MSSM.

As of June 22, Reuthe estimated donations totaled about $6,000. The initial payment to MSSM for next year is due in mid-July, he said.

Reuthe was impressed by MSSM students he met during the family’s earlier involvement with the school. “The kids are serious,” he said. “They work all day long and love it.”

Many go on to technical colleges and careers in science, engineering and other technical fields.

Constantine said MSSM’s 2025-26 enrollment is about 112 students – some applications remain to be finalized. Of the total, he said, 52, or close to 46.5 percent, are girls.

LETTERS: Disagrees with article

To the editor:

I was very disappointed in the uncredited May 22 article entitled “Local students go to state house to support girls’ sports and spaces.” Not only did it display a shocking amount of bias, but it was also poorly researched and nonfactual. It made the claim that, “most Mainers recognize these bills are commonsense policy that needs to be passed.” It fact, the vast majority of individuals who showed up to testify, including many female student athletes, were testifying against these anti-trans bills.

I won’t include numbers here for every bill (testimony available to all at https://legislature.maine.gov/Calendar on May 8), but just one of the bills, LD 1337, had 92 testifying for it and 477 testifying against, with two neutral testimonies. That is more than five times as many individuals who do not believe that these bills should be passed. I am not writing here to make an argument on the bills myself, but I strongly encourage readers to look at the words of their fellow Mainers themselves and check out some of the testimonies. The bills in question are LD 233, LD 868, LD 1002, LD 1134, LD 1704, LD 1337, LD 1432, and LD 380.

I have lived in East Vassalboro since I was six and have been an active member of the community, including stage managing a play at the local Grange with proceeds to benefit The Town Line. It is incredibly disheartening to me to see this paper, which should represent our community, showing blatant prejudice against myself and many other queer members of the community.

Kala Freytag Wistar,
East Vassalboro

Vassalboro conservation committee discusses two parks

Janice Clowes, president of the Vassalboro Historical Society, captured the silhouette of the monument in the park, next to the historical society building.

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Conservation Com­mission members spent most of their June 11 meeting discussing the two parks they supervise, Monument Park, in East Vassalboro at the China Lake outlet, and Eagle Park, on Route 32, north of East Vassalboro.

For Monument Park, they agreed on committee member Steve Jones’ earlier suggestion of adding a buffer along the water, with low plantings that would hold back runoff but not block the view.

Chairman Holly Weidner said planting the buffer might qualify for a grant from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund. The organization provides up to $4,000 for projects that promote volunteerism and protect the environment, she said.

The next round of applications is due in September, with funds awarded in December for work in 2026. Jones and Matt Pitcher volunteered to prepare a grant application.

Commission members praise public works crew for work at Eagle Park.

Commission members further agreed to add three trees along a small stream in the park, using money remaining in the current year’s budget. Jones, owner of Fieldstone Gardens, in Vassalboro, offered to provide the labor and equipment to plant the trees.

Weidner accepted with pleasure, saying to Jones, “When you plant trees, they don’t die.”

Weidner reported that Kennebec Water District has informally offered to help with run-off control on its side of the stream.

Commission members praised Vassalboro Public Works Director Brian Lajoie and the public works crew for their additions at Eagle Park. Crew members built a pavilion and installed three picnic tables from Maine Adirondack Chairs, in Vassalboro, one handicapped accessible; and improved the lawn and the parking area.

Other additions include a second fishing pier and a granite bench – the bench under a tree for shade, Weidner noted. She and Jones favor adding more trees.

Minor projects remain, like installing appropriate handicapped signs. Commission members intend to have an outhouse built to use the septic tank already on the property. Jones offered to talk with Lajoie about plans and costs.

In other business, Weidner reported that the China Region Lakes Alliance has hired Riley Field as head of the 2025 Courtesy Boat Inspection program, intended to keep invasive plants out of area lakes. Vassalboro will have inspectors at three boat landings, on China Lake, Three Mile Pond and Webber Pond. Town meeting voters approved $10,000 for this project.

Weidner said Paul Mitnik has resigned from the commission; it now has five members, instead of the authorized seven. Vassalboro residents interested in serving are invited to contact the town office.

On Weidner’s recommendation, commission members took a summer recess, scheduling their next regular meeting for Wednesday evening, Sept. 10.